Shower remodel plumbing dilemma

[donmecca999]

I have run into a slight dilemma with a plumbing vent on my bathtub / shower remodeling project. Originally this bathroom had a one piece fiberglass shower stall installed which after removing exposed a vent pipe which is not level and sticks out about 1 1/4 inches from the 5' mark where the new tub and cement board / tile will be going. The original tub must have had enough of a curve so to say to accommodate this pipe while the new tub and cement board will not sit flush against the framing, it did fit after all. Attached are a couple pictures of what I am dealing with.

The vent in question is connected to the Sink, Tub and Toilet in this bathroom, and goes up into the attic. As the pictures show, by the time the vent reaches the shower head, it is level with the framing, but not on the bottom end. This vent is already flush against a joist and cannot be moved deeper into the wall easily.

Any suggestions as to the best way to approach this problem are appreciated, better to ask first before cutting into any pipes right? One thought was to add 2 90's right after the vent comes through the subfloor, which *may* give enough clearance depending on the tub we end up with.

 

[Terry]

You will need to get creative.
There is a lav above that goes into that. You can use that as a cleanout if needed. If you can make it with 45's, all the better.
You may need to go with 90's. You already have a hacked up floor joist there. You may want to sister that with more wood. Especially if you are taking wood out of the joist near the wall.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

It's a good time to lose the three handle faucet there too.
New valves are pressure balanced. I would think about replacing the shower on the long wall too while you are at it.

 

[donmecca999]

Thanks for the input. I would like to try avoiding opening up the subfloor if I can re-route the vent without doing that. A new faucet is also going in as well, most likely a single handle one. I will sister that cut joint to add extra support.

Do you see anything wrong with the other shower on the adjoining wall? We actually redid that one about 3 years ago. I see no evidence of any water leaks in the pan or tiled walls after 3 years of daily use and took great care building the pan. We are fairly pleased with how the first shower came out, but are not professional tilers.

On a related note, is 1/2in subfloor under the new tub ok, or should I consider adding another layer of plywood. The surrounding floor outside the tub already has a 2nd layer of plywood on it.

New-ish shower your seeing the back wall of -

 

[Terry]

The tub is sitting crosswise over the floor joists, so I doubt the thickness is much to worry about under the tub.
I normally see 3/4" there though.
A three year old valve is recent. You are good there. Nice job on the shower.

 

[Standardairconditioner]

That pipe you want to deal with is soft plastic. A walk in the park to cut as you please and re-glue with 45's, which are friendlier for snakes than 90s.

You have to re-work the plumbing in the subfloor too. Again, this is really no big deal since it is all in front of you with no obstructions.

You might also take the effort in building a pretty access panel on the other side of that. This is a lot easier to do now with it all gutted out, and not later when you want to address a repair. The new access panel should be able to give you visual access to the tub drain too, those gaskets can fail.

That floor should be 3/4", not 1/2" as you think, and since you are putting a tub there again, that will distribute the weight fine. Did you notice that chunk of floor missing with your old tub? No, and neither will the new one.

If your valves are in good shape and they really make you happy, keep them. Otherwise, new fixtures and sweating is always a choice, but if you start, plan well to work quick so you don't interrupt your lifestyle with lack of water.